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Post by RexCorvus on Feb 19, 2017 18:33:18 GMT -5
As I was running this morning I reflected upon recent posts that spoke about getting back into exercising and being more healthy. Several members spoke of having an exercise buddy or someone to encourage and uplift them with positive motivation. WE as a collective do this for each other every day, so why not have a thread where we can tell our personal exercise/health stories, daily healthy choices, seek advice, ask for support, admit lack of motivation, share exercise/health related information, and encouragement!
This is not about competition. Each of us is different. Some are tall, short, thin, thick, health issues, older, younger, etc, etc… this is about encouraging each other just as we do in our SM support. Continuous improvement is a journey, not a destination.
I hope everyone enjoys this thread and finds something beneficial.
RC
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Post by RexCorvus on Feb 19, 2017 18:34:33 GMT -5
I will start off…
I was a bit of a jock and a bit of a stoner as a teenager. I played football (American), ran cross country, and the other part you will have to read in My Story. Life happened, kids happened, Sexless Marriage happened and we know how that destroys our motivation and self image. I worked way too much and ate horribly. In 2002 I was diagnosed with testicular cancer. I was fortunate in that I caught it very early, but over the next year I felt terrible. Cancer does a major mindfuck on you. I’m not sure if it was the radiation treatment or depression that caused my lack of energy and motivation but during this time I ballooned up to 205lbs (+24% of my personal ideal 165lbs(75kg)).
Now 205lbs sounds great when you are 6’3”, but not so good at 5’65”! (you need that .05 when you are only 5’6”(HaHa). With shoes I’m 5’7” ( LOL). Sorry I digressed… anyway after a year at my annual physical, my doctor said I had high cholesterol and very high triglycerides. Basically I was a solid. I decided I wanted to get back into shape. The only thing I could do was walk, so that is what I did. I started walking ½ mile to the park and back. Eventually over a lot of time, I was able to jog ½ mile and walk a half mile, then run a full mile, then 2, then 3, then 5… I also started lifting weights again to build up my strength. This helped me with dealing with my SM on many levels. It provided a healthy outlet for my anger and resentment. It did help my self image, but not to the level that it would a person in a healthy relationship. I still have a hard time looking in the mirror and seeing handsome or sexy.
I have fluctuated over the years but have never gotten above 185lbs (+12% ideal) since. I was down to 150lbs (-9% ideal) at one time but that was unhealthy. Today I weight 165lbs, which I find to be the perfect weight for my body build. Yes I still have a bit of some love handles, could definitely, do more squats and lunges… but I am pleased with where I am at 46 and I do occasionally get compliments on my build which always helps the self image.
*** EDIT ***
I forgot to mention that I no longer have high cholesterol or triglycerides. It is completely controlled through exercise and diet. :-)
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Post by RexCorvus on Feb 19, 2017 18:42:14 GMT -5
Today I ran 5 miles in 55:24 or an average pace of 11:04.  |
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Post by baza on Feb 19, 2017 19:59:00 GMT -5
My conversion of kg's into pounds here might not be real accurate.
I am 178cm high. Thats about 5' 9" (that has remained constant since I was about 17.
At that stage I played a lot of football (Australian Rules) as a midfielder at around 70kg (165)
As a boxer, I ranged from light heavyweight 79kg (175) down to middleweight 73kg (161)
After a back issue in my 40's I blew out to around 100kg (220) - mebbe more.
Once I could move a bit again, I started walking, over a year I got back to around 85 kg (187)
I changed jobs. Got out of corporate finance work, took on a more physical job.
Unsurprisingly, I was soon under 80kg (176) and then 75kg (165).
But alarmingly, I went south of that to under 70kg (154) and kept dropping.
Thought I was terminally ill actually. Went to the Docs for all sorts of tests - nothing.
I think it was the stress of my ILIASM deal that played a major part.
I recall hitting 64kg (141).
These days, I am around 82kg (180)
So I've had a fair old range of body shapes.
64kg (141) at one point, 100kg (220) at another.
I still find stress a major thing regarding weight.
When my former missus died suddenly in April 2015, I had to step in to help the kids (adults) negotiate their way through that period and it was awfully stressful. And I promptly dropped to under 70kg again !!!
No mystery to that. When I get stressed enough, my appetite just vanishes.
My "normal" appetite is pretty impressive. I am a guts.
To the extent that one of my nicknames is "The Bin".
If someone can't finish their meal, oftentimes my mates will say - "Just give it to The Bin" and I will polish it off !!!
My jobs these days are physical still (but not too demanding) and about 3 sessions a week on the heavy bag is about the only exercise I do.
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Post by lakeside4003 on Feb 19, 2017 20:34:51 GMT -5
wow, lots of ex-jocks here...I am also an ex-football/basketball athlete, was a walk-on at U of Florida back in the 70's. I am not at all thin, never was - but am a solid 210 and 5'11". was 185lbs when I was linebacker/fullback in HS, which was svelte for me.
I get to the gym 4-5X/wk (elliptical machine, as my knees don't like anymore pounding), push-ups, ab work etc. Also still play mens doubles tennis weekly and walk when I play golf.
staying active helps tremendously to relieve the stress and frustrations that my SM life has exacerbated.
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Post by DryCreek on Feb 20, 2017 0:15:47 GMT -5
Great thread, RexCorvus. I have a simple goal... drop a pound a week. Consistently. Nothing dramatic; playing the long game with better diet and more activity. Trying to ingrain new habits. Progress at this pace is not so hard. But the backsliding... that's the killer. It's too easy to undo a lot of success. For what it's worth, I use an iPhone app called FullFitness just to track weight (though it does much more). It's handy and effective to see the charts and stats it tracks. A friend shared a good life benchmark - strive to exit each year weighing the same or less than the year before. And, no ex-jock here...  |
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Post by RexCorvus on Feb 20, 2017 9:51:00 GMT -5
Hi brother baza thank you for sharing! I too find that stress has a major impact on my weight as well, and will go into some more detail. I mentioned that my weight was down to 150lbs (68kg). I was at this weight in 2010/11 after joining EP in 2009 and spending 2 years doing everything I could to try to “fix” my sexless marriage. When that failed, and I lost all hope, I slid into a really dark place and I used exercise to feel the physical pain to match my mental despair. During my therapy session last week, I spoke to my therapist about this. I had marked on my intro sheet that I sometimes drink too much and use it as a crutch to deal with my SM. She started the Alcoholic conversation and I resisted that label. I told her I spent 5 years as a teenager going to AA meetings. She mentioned using healthy activities instead. I told her that I do exercise, but that I had, in the past, gone to extremes and used that as well to “deal” with my SM. She then said, it sounded to her that I have addictive tendencies. I said “Yes, exactly!” She has told me, that she will teach me meditation tools to help me with this. |
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Post by RexCorvus on Feb 20, 2017 11:32:38 GMT -5
Thank you DryCreek! I think that is a great goal and the most important is the “consistency”! IMHO (I am not a trained personal trainer) I believe it is better in the beginning of starting a new exercise routine, that one shouldn’t focus on body weight. The human body WANTS to keep that weight on, and will try very hard to keep it on or add it back: “While researchers have known for decades that the body undergoes various metabolic and hormonal changes while it’s losing weight, the Australian team detected something new. A full year after significant weight loss, these men and women remained in what could be described as a biologically altered state. Their still-plump bodies were acting as if they were starving and were working overtime to regain the pounds they lost.”…
“What we see here is a coordinated defense mechanism with multiple components all directed toward making us put on weight,”
The Fat TrapMaybe I should have used body weight percentages in my first post instead of body weight, so that others don’t focus on my weight as well. I believe especially in the beginning that we should instead focus on how much better you feel. Things like sleeping better, less body aches for no reason, not getting short of breath, etc… I’m glad you mentioned the iPhone app! I use MapMyFitness along with MyFitnessPal. |
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Post by RexCorvus on Feb 20, 2017 11:36:46 GMT -5
Today I lifted weights (Chest and Biceps).
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Post by DryCreek on Feb 20, 2017 12:27:47 GMT -5
RexCorvus - true, it's easy to focus on weight because it's most easily measurable. There are lots of other better metrics, including many that aren't very measurable. For me, it's important to cement a change in behavior first, irrespective of the details. Am I being conscious about when/what I eat - later, working on optimizing for my body type. Am I getting to the gym regularly - then, creating a structured plan around what/how I do when I'm there. But that's just my approach. Logic being, if I can't get to the gym regularly, the workout plan is worthless. So, first, get to the gym consistently.
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Post by Rhapsodee on Feb 21, 2017 12:38:00 GMT -5
I have spondylolisthesis in my lower back which causes chronic sciatica on the left side and degeneration in my neck causing weakness in my left arm and shoulder. I worked with a functional trainer for a few months to regain use of my left arm and to try to ease the sciatica pain. I was making good progress with my workouts. I had added upper body strength training after yoga three times a week and noticed an improvement in my practice. My posture is better and I'm regaining definition in my arms.
Then I got sick with that respiratory infection that is knocking people down. Eight days of being unable to do more than wobble to the bathroom and sit up to eat. I was in tears thinking I'd never be healthy again. Two weeks more of slow recovery and antibiotics. I did isometric core exercises and little things that weren't very taxing on my strength.
I'm back to the gym. Here I go again. Illness and injury is a setback. It's like starting over.
Sundays: step class, weight training and yoga. It's my big day.
Monday: advanced step class
Tuesday: rest and line dancing at Incahoots
Wednesday: yoga and weights
Thursday: advanced step class
Friday: yoga and weights
Saturday: hike or long walk.
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Post by WindSister on Feb 21, 2017 12:47:57 GMT -5
I lost 30 pounds in the last few months through diet alone, although we do live an active-ish lifestyle - cross country ski on the weekends, rustic cabin camping, hiking, waterfall searching/hiking. So we do a lot on the weekends, but weeknights we get a bit lazy.
I would like to "tone up" and recognize exercise is a good thing. My husband has back/foot issues from working so hard all his life. He and I tried yoga last year (DDP - not your mother's yoga) and he was feeling a lot better but then we stopped for some reason. We decided to get back to that this week, so we are starting tomorrow.
I downloaded a fun app - Gorilla Workout - that focuses on body weight exercises. You can start out at the appropriate level and work up from there. I like body-weight, at home workouts because I hate gyms and live in the country far away from them anyway. I will start walking regularly with nicer weather - and biking, kayaking, camping (we do hike-in camping usually).
I just had to cut out the beer and appetizers from my diet and I am doing a lot better. (well and all other carbs, essentially - I don't get how some can eat carbs and be thin at the same time because I just can't).
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Post by Rhapsodee on Feb 21, 2017 13:01:47 GMT -5
I lost 30 pounds in the last few months through diet alone, although we do live an active-ish lifestyle - cross country ski on the weekends, rustic cabin camping, hiking, waterfall searching/hiking. So we do a lot on the weekends, but weeknights we get a bit lazy. I would like to "tone up" and recognize exercise is a good thing. My husband has back/foot issues from working so hard all his life. He and I tried yoga last year (DDP - not your mother's yoga) and he was feeling a lot better but then we stopped for some reason. We decided to get back to that this week, so we are starting tomorrow. I downloaded a fun app - Gorilla Workout - that focuses on body weight exercises. You can start out at the appropriate level and work up from there. I like body-weight, at home workouts because I hate gyms and live in the country far away from them anyway. I will start walking regularly with nicer weather - and biking, kayaking, camping (we do hike-in camping usually). I just had to cut out the beer and appetizers from my diet and I am doing a lot better. (well and all other carbs, essentially - I don't get how some can eat carbs and be thin at the same time because I just can't). Oh I would love to live where you do! Camping, water falls and hiking! I would miss the beach though. My son does the gorilla workout app. It's very challenging and he looks great. |
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Post by Chatter Fox on Feb 21, 2017 20:14:05 GMT -5
I like food I like to try to keep in shape I run I mountain bike I generally like to keep active The exercise offsets the food.  I lost about 50 lbs max over the last 5 years. I'm up a bit lately on weight but I'm getting back down to where I want to be. Great thread! PS...did I mention I like food XD |
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Post by ggold on Feb 22, 2017 17:47:55 GMT -5
I started my 21 Day Fix workouts from Beachbody again this week. I have worked out 4 out of 5 days so far. It's tough to do it everyday but I try. Today was Pilates Fix. God that's a tough one!! I am able to hold my planks longer now and can keep up without too much modification!! Yay!!
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